Preview ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Episode 403 With New Photos And Trailer From “Choose To Live” [UPDATED]

The third episode of season four of Star Trek: Discovery arrives on Paramount+ this week. We have some new details, photos, and trailer to get you started. [UPDATE: New clip added]

“Choose to Live”

The new episode of Discovery is titled “Choose to Live” which is a phrase spoken by the Romulan (later Ni’Var) warrior nuns, the Qowat Milat. The episode debuts on Paramount+ on Thursday, December 2nd.

Synopsis: 

Burnham and Tilly hunt the killer of a Starfleet officer as Stamets and the science team race against the clock to prevent the anomaly from killing anyone else.

A meeting at Starfleet with Ni’Var President and Qowat Milat…

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham, Oded Fehr as Admiral Vance, Chelah Horsdal as President Laira Rillak and Tara Rosling as T’Rina

Tara Rosling as T’Rina

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham

Oded Fehr as Admiral Vance

Chelah Horsdal as President Laira Rillak

Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham

Culber working on Adira Tal and Gray…

Wilson Cruz as Culber

Wilson Cruz as Culber

Stamets and Book on Ni’Var…

Anthony Rapp as Stamets and Tara Rosling as T’Rina

Anthony Rapp as Stamets

Anthony Rapp as Stamets

Anthony Rapp as Stamets and David Ajala as Book

Tara Rosling as T’Rina and David Ajala as Book

David Ajala as Book

Anthony Rapp as Stamets

From episode 403

From episode 403

Trailer

UPDATE: Clip

Late on Monday Paramount+ released a new episode of The Ready Room which featured a clip from this week’s episode at the end (23:09).

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery premiere on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the U.S. and on CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada, where it’s also available to stream on CraveDiscovery will debut on Paramount+ in 45 countries around the world in 2022.


Keep up with the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com.

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Oooh, a mind meld! I always love those!

Judging from the expressions, definitely a very Vulcan episode. Either that or they already blew their smile budget.

President Rillak has that “…and what did you think would happen?” reaction.

My guess is thy Michael has once again thought that she can ride roughshod over Vulcan process and protocols, just because.

We don’t see Saru in any of the photos, but I wonder if he’ll smooth the way with T’Rina.

Are those production stills? I’m curious if those closer shots of the characters are using the AR Wall.

Those are on set photos, so yes those use the AR wall without any polish/clean up in post production.

Ok, that’s kind of what I was hoping for. I’m an VFX geek and i was a little concerned because the AR doesn’t look that great in the photos. But if they’re set shots, that makes waaaaay more sense. I’m stoked to see some of the locations when the ep gets released to see how they look after post.

I wondered that, too. The shots above reminded me of the old matte paintings 90’s Trek used (and then reused, and then reused again…). They were often stunning but didn’t always feel that real to me. this looks kind of painted backdrop, but intrigued to see the finished episode.

Man this show is like a really solid C+ to A- range. Just like all the treks that came before it. Really enjoying it! But I would enjoy it and Picard more if we just got one teensie little
Update on what happened to our pals on DS9!

Well, we know that O’Brien got a statue and Quark’s has franchised.

I suppose it really helps when your brother is the Grand Nagus.

How’s that HD AR wall working out?

It looks a bit obvious when they’re using it – not as good as locations. As a way to have to travel less during filming in the pandemic it’s a great idea, but hopefully they’ll get better or go back to more location shoots when it’s safer to do so. Actually makes some scenes more like a modern version of 60s Trek away missions with the obvious artificial backdrop.

Are they on Mt. Seleya? Or does Vulcan not exist in the 32d century? I know Vulcan was destroyed in what I think of as “the Fake Star Trek movies.” I don’t watch “Disco,” but I read about it sometimes and thought I saw something about Vulcan’s no longer existing.

It exists, just with an exciting new name and cultural change.

That IS Vulcan. It’s the same Vulcan T’Pol, Spock and Burnham grew up on, it’s just a different name in the 32nd century due to the Romulans now living there (who has lost their home planet back in the 24th century).

And the Kelvin movies aren’t ‘fake’, they simply take place in a different universe than the other movies and shows where that version of Vulcan was destroyed. I get a lot of fans don’t love those movies today, but they are still canon in the franchise as Picard made clear. But if you don’t like them, that’s fine of course.

Exactly. Prime. Mirror. Kelvin. All different universes with different histories.

Discovery also made it canon when they explained a 24th Century Kelvin Starfleet officer was part of the temporal cold war.

Also true! In fact, that’s the first time someone from the Prime Universe acknowledged the Kelvin universe existence.

So some of these fans should just move on already. The movies are canon!

This is not the Kelvin Timeline* (Abrams movies timeline) so no, Vulcan was not destroyed. It still exists but after reunification with the Romulans (following the destruction of the Empire in Star Trek 2009 and Picard Season 1) it reverted to its ancient name of Ni’Var.

*The Kelvin Timeline was obliquely referenced as being a separate timeline in Season 3.

Look forward to watch the new episode. Wonder if Gabrielle Burham will stop by to say hi to the new Captain. After so many years apart believing the worse happened, they only met once like they are friends, not like mother and daughter dying to see each other.

For some reason streaming Discovery and few other Paramount+ movies like Into Darkness, look very pale, opaque. The colors are dull. Need to call their customer service. I can only see the perfect glossy image on the fwd frame. It has to be a glitch. I have no problem with Prodigy or Lower Decks. And all my other streaming apps work fine as well.

You’re not alone with the P+ issue:
https://twitter.com/philnobilejr/status/1465149932546019334?s=21

Seems to be a problem with HDR material not properly choosing the SDR version for people on standard range TVs. Which fits with what you’re saying. Discovery and Into Darkness are both available in HDR on P+, while Prodigy and Lower Decks are not made for HDR.

I also had an issue for a while on P+ where the color tone would shift constantly while I was watching. It was really annoying and they had no idea how to fix it. It finally stopped, but it was making shows mostly unwatchable.

Thank you for letting me know. I have 2011 Samsung, not a new TV, maybe this is why. Will call customer service.

I remember people complaining about last year’s Vulcan / Ni’Var episode not making use of the alien landscape but staging the judicial ceremony on Disco instead. Now, they use the AR wall to finally make up for this :-)

But one thing’s still missing: a cameo appearance by Ni’Var Burton :-)

Ni’Var say Ni’Var Again!

You can watch the trailer without region lock here: https://youtu.be/gHfiv2EpoYw

Thanks!

It’s region locked in Sweden.

It’s not region-locked. It seems that it has been removed by CBS because of copyright infringement.

It’s very exciting to be back on Ni’Var/Vulcan! We haven’t had that since season 2 of Discovery. I doubt we will see a lot of it though but would love to hear more of how the Romulans and Vulcans are interacting. Maybe with a rogue Qowat Milat member being the focus, it will touch on that.

And this episode sounds like more of a standalone and just has its own story (but expect it to connect with the bigger story somehow). But if so, I hope we get more like this in the season.

Interesting point. When was the most recent visit to Vulcan in the prime universe?

I think it was in Discovery season 2 when Burnham found Spock who was in hiding due to his mother. I can’t recall another time unless there is an episode from Lower Decks I’m not thinking of? And definitely not anywhere in Picard.

Are you asking in-universe (as in what was the last time we saw Vulcan prior to the 32nd century?) or from a real-world perspective (as in the last Trek production)?

The real-world answer would be DSC S2 like Tiger2 talked about. We were in orbit of Ni’Var/Vulcan in DSC S3 but didn’t see the surface.

The in-universe answer would probably be the 24th century, TNG: “Gambit, Part II” is I think the last time we see anyone go to the surface of Vulcan.

Yes, I was thinking “in-universe” – it’s been two days… forgot I asked the question!

I sure wish Discovery had just honored the Star Trek canon and started with a recognizable starship and uniform and on the pilot episode did a 900 year trip into the future. This season has more potential than anything else they have done and no one gets mad at them for messing up our favorite sandbox! 🖖🏻

I think we would have a very different show today if they stuck a lot closer to canon in the pilot episode and wouldn’t have angered so many fans. They may have stayed in the 23rd century. But I’m not complaining since I’m much happier where they are now. And SNW can be a more proper sequel in that time period now.

I’m one of those rare people who actually thinks DSC’s first season was its best in some ways. *runs and hides*

I think so, too. It had a lot of promise and an epic scope. I really liked some of the Klingon stuff (I’m ducking) — it was nice to see a fresh take that sort of worked in-universe (a bunch of different cultures within the empire).

I’ll forever wonder what the show would have looked like had Bryan Fuller stayed attached (I’m a fan — although some of his stuff can veer toward style over substance).

It had big problems — the mirror universe as presented was silly/there was way too much focus on engineering the Voq/Tyler “surprise/,” the Klingon War didn’t really end.

Interested in this looking like a standalone episode still with some connection to the main plot. Judging by the trailer and stills though, it looks like there is a lot to cover in just the time allowed for a single episode. Hoping it’s not too much.

So an entire episode of the cast standing or sitting with dour expressions? Count me in! *eye roll* the teaser images have been lame this season.

That must be the most uncreative use of that LED Volume, I’ve ever seen 😅 …